2016 Beauty Favourites | Part 1: Make-Up

Hey everyone! Super sorry (again) for the MIA. I've been travelling a lot, had a lot of errands to run for over a week and Chinese New Year just came by, and oh, Happy Chinese New Year/Lunar New Year to all my Chinese readers!

Anyway, I've finally squeezed in some time to blog about my 2016 Beauty Favourites. Let's start with makeup.

Makeup

1. Etude House Face Blur SPF 33PA++ // Primer

This is a really top-notch primer that smoothens the skin, moisturises the skin, gives a smooth application for makeup, gives a bit of a sheen and glow to the skin and also, make the makeup lasts a long time for at least 10 hours. It comes with a pump which is a plus, and also is affordable and has an added SPF to protect the skin from the sun.

2. Too Faced Born This Way Foundation // Foundation

This foundation is one of the most popular high-end foundations on 2015 and it is raved by many beauty gurus. It has high and amazing coverage, very easy to blend and has a natural finish. It's also very long-lasting. It comes with a pump, which is another plus. It's not very drying but it does move around a little.

3. L'Oreal Infallible Pro-Matte 24HR Foundation // Foundation

This foundation is really out of this world, for me. I actually like this better than the Too Faced Born This Way Foundation (but I still love it nonetheless). It has high and amazing coverage, very easy to blend and spread around the face, very creamy and has a natural finish. It definitely lasts much longer than the Too Faced Foundation and the best part is, it doesn't crease as much and doesn't move around the face. It's not too drying or blotchy.

4. Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser Dark Circles Treatment Concealer // Concealer

One of the best concealers I've ever used. It's really creamy so it's moisturising for the under-eyes, it covers the dark circles very well (because this concealer in shade Fair has a peach to salmon undertone), it blends like heaven and lasts a really good amount of time, which is impressive considering that this is very affordable.

5. The Face Shop Liquid Veil Concealer // Concealer

This concealer is excellent. It's super creamy and so easy to blend. It also comes with a doe-foot applicator, which is my favourite type of concealer. It has a good amount of coverage that covers pimples, blemishes, under-eyes and pimple scars quite well. It's also very affordable but unfortunately, it only comes in three shades.

6. Jeffree Star Skin Frost Highlighter in King Tut // Highlighter

Absolutely love this highlighter. It's such a beautiful gold highlighter that has amazing pigmentation, super easy to blend and it's huge. I personally thing I will never hit pan on this because it's almost as big as my face. This highlighter can literally blind anyone once they lay their eyes on you. It also lasts a really long time.

7. Too Faced Chocolate Bar Eyeshadow Collection // Eyeshadow Palette

One of my favourite eyeshadow palettes of all time. I've never seen a YouTuber hate or disliked this product, because it's just that good. The colours are so gorgeous and pigmented, so easy to blend, has a variety of beautiful colours that can go from neutral to bright to night-out looks. The best part is, it is made from 100% cocoa powder and smells like chocolate.

8. BH Cosmetics Shaaanxo 18 Eyeshadow + Lipstick Palette // Eyeshadow and Lipstick Palette

I personally love the eyeshadows more than the lipsticks. I'm sure you all would probably know (or not) that I love me some liquid lipsticks and not so much on the creamier lipsticks. The eyeshadows are so excellent. They are so creamy, smooth, pigmented and absolutely stunning, it's crazy how I bought this palette for only $15 ($10USD). The pans are really big compared to many other eyeshadows in palettes, they're just so easy to blend and long-lasting. The lipsticks however were not as great as the eyeshadows, but it works well too. It's quite pigmented, creamy, moisturising, but you'll need a lip brush to apply the lipsticks.

9. Holika Holika Jewel Light Waterproof Pencil Liner in #16 Black Plum // Eyeliner

I absolutely love the colour of this pencil liner. It's a matte purple plum shade which is so gorgeous and stunning on the waterline or the eyelid. It glides on smoothly, super pigmented, very affordable and very waterproof. I've done a waterproof on these baby and it's very waterproof, it really doesn't smudge off that easily. 

10. Etude House Play 101 Pencil in #38 // Eyeliner

This is also a really excellent eyeliner pencil. It's way more smoother compared to the Holika Holika Jewel-Light Waterproof Pencil Liner and glides on easily. It is also a retractable pencil so you don't really have to sharpen the edges or the tip of the eyeliner (it also comes with a mini and portable sharpener which is located at the back of the pencil). It's also a very pretty colour and comes with so many different shades you can never imagine (okay, maybe you can but... you know what I mean :D).

11. L'Oreal Waterproof Voluminous Carbon Black Mascara // Mascara

Amazing. It's one of the best mascaras I've ever tried in my life. It lengthens, curls and volumises (but it's also natural-looking). Not only that, it doesn't smudge, or clump and the best part of it, it's waterproof. Unfortunately, despite it's crazy amount of pros, it's pretty difficult to remove the mascara as it's super waterproof.

12. Jeffree Star Velour Liquid Lipstick in Celebrity Skin // Liquid Lipstick

Be prepared for many lipsticks being featured in this blogpost because... well, I bought over 10 lipsticks and been gifted about 5. Anyway, this lipstick is amazing. So amazing. The colour is a very pretty dark nude to brown shade. It doesn't have a yellow or pink undertone or anything, which I like. I just love a dark nude. Formula-wise, very impressed. It's very consistent, creamy, not drying or flaky and doesn't suck the life out of my lips. It's velvet-y and soft. The shape of the doe-foot applicator makes it easier to apply and fills in quickly because the doe-foot applicator is bigger than other doe-foot applicators from other liquid lipsticks from other brands. Best part about this is that even if you eat oily and greasy foods, the lipstick still stays on.

13. Kylie Cosmetics Lip Kit in Candy K and Exposed

2016 was the year for Kylie Jenner as some lip kits were sold out every few minutes once they were released on the website. I have to be honest, this lip liner and liquid lipstick were really good. Candy K is a really pretty dusty mauve-y neutral pink while Exposed is a nude-orange, perfect for everyday-wear. The formula isn't the best, but they're decent. Smooth, creamy, pigmented and not too drying. I like the lip liner more than the liquid lipstick because it's not as drying. They're also very long-lasting and don't transfer. The lip liner is super pigmented and smooth and it glides on so nicely around the lips. The liquid lipstick is alright, but a little bit drying and might turn cracky, but it's not too bad. The colours are really pretty and gorgeous, and that's why I love this lipstick.

14. ColourPop Ultra Satin Lips in Calypso, November and Screenshot

2016 was definitely the year for ColourPop as well and their ultra satins are bomb. They're so pigmented, creamy, smooth and easy to apply. They were not matte, but they dry a little bit of a matte, but they still have that little sheen on the lips. They're not drying at all (unlike their ultra mattes). Calypso is a beautiful mid-tone terracotta pink. November is a gorgeous warm peachy coral pink. Screenshot is a stunning deepened peach. The colours are extremely gorgeous and ColourPop has a wide range of different colours with different tones in many different finishes like mattes, satins, metallics and glosses.

15. ColourPop Matte X Lippie in Cami and Chateau

The formula for the matte x lippies are absolutely amazing. They're smooth, soft, pigmented, glides on easily and definitely not drying at all. I know I describe all my lipsticks like that, but trust me when I say this, they're so hard not to pass. They're lightweight, doesn't transfer, easily removed by makeup removers and lasts for quite a while. It does fade off if you eat oily and greasy foods. It's so affordable and it's in a crayon form. Cami is a mauve-y neutral pink while Chateau is a deep blackened red wine colour.

16. 3 Concept Eyes Dangerous Matte Lip Color in #808 Spotted

I never realised how amazing this formula is. It's creamy, velvety, smooth and pigmented. It really stays on for the whole day and doesn't transfer at all. It's in this gorgeous blue-toned red which really makes my teeth look whiter and brighter instantly whenever I flash a smile.

17. 13rushes Flat Top Foundation Brush, Jumbo Shader Brush, Tapered Concealer Brush and Oval Brush

13rushes is a Singaporean brand that provides high quality brushes. Their bristles and hairs are so soft and smooth, it's really satisfying when you play around with it. They all dry really quickly. The flat top foundation brush is soft yet firm and blends so well. It doesn't leave streaky lines and has a beautiful and natural finish. The jumbo shader brush is perfect for blending eyeshadows altogether and great for contouring the nose. It's soft and fluffy, but picks up product very well. The tapered concealer brush is perfect for blending concealer under the eyes and on pimple spots, scars, blemishes and marks. It's soft and firm, and blends beautifully, without leaving streaky lines. The tapered powder brush is mainly used as a highlighting brush, for me. It's soft and fluffy, and picks up products very well and blends beautifully.

[REVIEW] L'Oreal Infallible Pro-Matte 24HR Foundation in #101 Classic Ivory

Hey guys and girls! I'm back with another blogpost! Woo!

Today, I'll be reviewing on one of the most popular drugstore foundation product in the beauty industry: L'Oreal Infallible Pro-Matte 24HR Foundation.

This was gifted by my bestie for my birthday this year and I am forever grateful for her generosity.

It is a squeeze-tube type of packaging, which I have to admit, not my favourite type of packaging for foundations. Why? You might ask. It's because it gets messy around the tip of the tube, but I'm still okay with it. I'd prefer a foundation with a pump, just for your information.

L'Oreal also recently released their Infallible Pro-Glow 24HR Foundation. It has a dewy-finish while this one is matte.

First of all, this foundation does have a demi-matte finish, as it says on the bottle. It has a creamy consistency and texture.

It's not too drying for those with oily to combination skin, but if you have dry skin, it might turn bad for you. My skin sometimes turn dry and flakey and sometimes, it turns slightly oily. It did leave a weird dry patch on my forehead and my chin, and a little bit on my cheeks, but that could just be my sponge applicator or me not applying moisturiser or face primer beforehand.

On days when my skin is looking pretty decent, the foundation does look great on me. It doesn't stay on the surface of the skin, it does blend down to my skin tone and just looks natural. It has a medium coverage, not super light, not intense either.

It blends really quickly and spreads around the face very quickly. It's also very lightweight and doesn't feel sticky or heavy on my skin.

It did turn out quite oily after 4 hours (even if I set my whole face with powder) but the foundation still stays for a really long time, it doesn't fade away, disappear, smudge or anything like that. In conclusion, it's very long-lasting (as it says on the bottle). You definitely need to bring a powder along with you if you'll be out for a long time and if you have oily to combination skin.

Another pro is that this foundation is affordable and can be bought in stores or online in the States. The con is that it's hard to get if you're not in the States (or other countries in the West). I had to use shopandbox.com (which is a personal shopping destination for shoppers who aren't able to get their hands on some certain items or products).

It doesn't cause my skin to break-out, so another pro. It also has a lot of variety of shades and skin colours so you'll definitely find a shade that'll match your skin tone.

Price: $12.99USD

Store Location: Ulta.com, L'Oreal Paris USA, Walmart.com, Boots.com, Walgreens, Target.com

Size/Amount of Product: 1fl.oz

Would I repurchase? Yes I would, because it's such an excellent foundation. Full coverage, natural finish, very long-lasting, easy to blend and affordable. Who wouldn't want to repurchase it?

Pros:

-affordable

-not too drying

-good coverage

-lightweight

-natural finish

-no break-outs

-great for oily to combo skin

-very long-lasting

-easy to blend

-great for travelling

-easily accessible in the States and other Western countries

Cons:

-not easily accessible in other countries besides the States and other Western countries

-gets oily in a few hours

Overall Comment:

Very excellent foundation indeed. It did not disappoint me at all and it works the same as most high-end foundations anyway. Very affordable, amazing coverage, easy to blend, long-lasting, lightweight, great for travelling as the product itself is light.

Rating:

[REVIEW] Too Faced Born This Way Foundation

Hello guys! I'm back with another blog post! It's been a week since I last blogged.

This time, I'm gonna blog about one of the top foundations from Sephora and it's the Too Faced Born This Way Foundation in shade Porcelain. This product is also one of Too Faced best-sellers beside their Chocolate Bar Eyeshadow Collection (which I will be reviewing on a later date) and their Semi-Sweet Chocolate Bar Eyeshadow Collection.

This foundation is known for its natural finish with medium coverage and longevity. The product comes with a pump (thank goodness it doesn't come with a twistable cap) and it's more hygienic.

It has a smooth and creamy texture. It's a liquid foundation and claims that it's oil-free.

Also, the packaging is quite cute and classy.

Love love LOVE this foundation. It's lightweight and the coverage is very good (since it has a medium coverage). It feels like there's nothing on my face and it doesn't feel heavy or sticky at all.

The foundation claims that it has a neutral to pink undertone but it looks more like it has a yellow undertone, but it does look quite good on my red undertone skin. Somehow, it matches my skin. I'm not even sure if 'Porcelain' is the lightest shade, but it may be just a shade darker than my skin tone, but nevertheless, it doesn't look obvious at all.

As you can see, it has a very natural finish. It looks like 'My skin but better' type of look. It doesn't look cakey at all or too glowy/luminous. I think it's a good foundation for all skin types. 

Also, it is so easy to blend this foundation. Compared to my other drugstore foundations, this was the easiest to blend. It took me such little time to blend the whole foundation around my face. You also don't need to use a lot. A half pump is more than enough because coverage is amazing and it spreads well.

Well as for longevity and long-lastingness, just a bit of the foundation did slide off a little bit but it's not very noticeable.

I did do my house chores (laundry and washed a few dirty dishes) while having this foundation on so maybe that's why the foundation looked uneven.

It left some dry patches and some discolouration here on the upper right side, above my lip. It's probably the mixture of my sweat and the foundation (I know, disgusting).

Also, it has a strong and pungent smell (very fishy smell as well, which is weird). Thankfully, the smell faded off after like a few seconds of applying it.

I admit that I was very excited when it foundation says that it's 'oil-free' because I have oily skin but when I touched my nose (unconsciously), it was so oily, greasy and slippery. I distinctly remembered that I applied foundation, especially around my nose area because my T-Zone gets super oily throughout the day. 

Unfortunately, it's not oil-free at all. I used my Clean&Clear Blotting Sheet to test it out and to my dismay, my face was so oily, you could fry my face on a pan. Also, some of foundation patches came off and sticked to my blotting sheet, which was really disturbing to look at. I just added some mineral powder so my face won't be as oily anymore and no excess sebum will be produced.

Other than that, it's all fine. It's quite long-lasting (no need for re-applying throughout the day) and even though it has a strong, pungent smell at first, the smell fades away in a few seconds so no biggie.

Price: BND$53 (RM152)

Store Location: Sephora (any Sephora stores worldwide), Too Faced, Ulta, BeautyBay

Size/Amount of Product: 1.0oz (30ml)

Would I repurchase it? Maybe, but I'm still exploring other high-end foundations (currently) so if I hit pan on this foundation, I'll try out different foundations until I find the right one for me. So far, this one was good, but I know there is that one foundation out there that I haven't tried but it's perfect for me.

Pros:

-medium to high coverage

-natural finish

-lightweight

-easy to blend

-quite long-lasting

-hygienic

-suitable for all skin types

-suitable for yellow/red undertone

-no sticky or cakey finish

Cons:

-pungent, strong, fishy smell

-says it's 'oil-free' but it's not

-no sun-protection

-a little bit pricey

Overall Comment:

I love this foundation a lot, but it's not like the best foundation out there. It is one of the best, but not the best. It has almost everything I want or need in a foundation. It was a good experience trying out this foundation. It's lightweight, easy to blend, good coverage, natural finish and good skin match for me. It's a good splurge and worth the money.

Rating:

[REVIEW] Holika Holika Aqua Petit Jelly BB

Hey guys! I am back with another blogpost!

So the Holika Holika Aqua Petit Jelly BB was recommended by meejmuse on YouTube as one of her favourite foundations.

The shade I bought is in #1 Aqua Beige. It comes with 2 shades only (so if you're any tanner than shade #2, I would recommend you guys not to purchase this). This foundation is known for its unique and interesting mousse texture.

It comes with a twistable, frosted matte glass packaging, a spatula to scoop the foundation out and a free sponge which comes in the box with the BB cream. It is a water-based BB cream.

As you can see, it does have a mousse texture. It's like chocolate mousse (I was tempted to taste it though, don't judge). It is said to have a slightly dewy finish with a semi-matte finish.

I have to say that this BB cream is actually quite decent. It has a light to medium coverage, very natural and dewy finish and also, it has SPF 20 Pa++ sun protection and easy to blend. It definitely blends well with a sponge compared to a foundation brush. It did have a semi-matte finish with a bit of dewiness going on and plus, it did sort of lasted a long time (without primer).

I did not use the sponge that comes with the BB cream because I have heard from other sources that it doesn't work well, so I used my Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge to blend the BB cream.

Besides the foundation itself, the packaging is very adorable. The downside is that it's going to be very difficult to scoop out the product with the spatula because the spatula is not long enough to scoop the foundation out from the very bottom of the bottle, and I find that quite irritating. I would prefer a pump bottle. Also, with this packaging that comes with a spatula, it is not very hygienic, considering that once you swipe the spatula across the face or hand, you're gonna put the spatula back into the bottle again.

Also, the packaging is definitely not light, portable and travel-friendly because it's heavy and it's made of frosted glass (if you bring this BB cream with you, the bottle might have a high chance of breaking because it's made of frosted glass).

It does have a yellow undertone, but it also matches my skin tone (which is red undertone) so anyone can use this.

Twist the cap and stir the spatula to blend everything in before using the spatula and swipe it onto your face or hand. Use a makeup sponge and dab it gently onto your face, blending it in the process.

Price:  8,800KRW (it was on sale, original price is 13,500KRW)

Store Location: Holika Holika branches

How much product: 40ml

Would I repurchase this? No, I did not regret purchasing this, but I don't think it's that great that I'll repurchase it again.

Overall Comment:

It's not bad of a product. Formula is pretty good (light to medium coverage, semi-matte but slightly dewy finish, kind of long-lasting, sun protection and a unique texture), but I would not repurchase it again because I've got other foundations I've got in my head that I'm thinking of repurchasing because they're better than this BB cream (sorry to say that, though). I would like it if they changed the packaging of the product and released more shades so other people with darker skin tones can buy this.

Pros:

-good finish

-natural finish

-blends well

-matches well with skin tone

-smells nice

-suitable for all skin types

-very affordable

-has SPF

Cons:

-not long-lasting at all

-transfers

-coverage is not high

-unhygienic packaging

-comes with 2 shades only (all very fair)

Rating:

[REVIEW] IOPE Air Cushion XP Matte Finish

Hey guys! I am back with another blogpost!

The IOPE Air Cushion XP has been in the No.1 Best-Selling Cushion compacts out there in South Korea and probably, in the world right now because western beauty brands don't produce cushion compacts. South Korea is the first country that invented the cushion compact (by Amorepacific) and IOPE is the best out of all cushion compacts out there.

The one that I bought was recently released and it is the Matte Finish version. They also come with Natural, Cover, Shimmer and Intense Cover. It has been raved by so many Korean celebrities and makeup gurus (even some western celebrities).

It contains a puff, a sponge and in the sponge, it contains liquid foundation. My shade is M21 (the second lightest shade).

Sorry if the packaging is dirty, I accidentally swipe my puff onto the white, outer area of the compact. I'll clean it when I have the time.

It also comes with one extra refill and a free puff from Aritaum.

Now I know why this product has been raved so many times and this is easily one of the most favourable cushion compacts by other people (especially makeup gurus and celebrities). It has a light to medium coverage, very natural-looking and has high sun protection (SPF 50 Pa+++). Also, it's easy to blend and it's not cakey at all. It might say that it's matte, but it's not very matte. It is semi-matte but it does give off a slight dewy look (but not as dewy as most Korean cushion compacts though).

with only one layer of foundation

the comparison between: with and without the IOPE Air Cushion XP Matte Finish

how much product that has been squeezed out after one squeeze on my finger

how much product that has been squeezed out after one squeeze on the puff

This product definitely made my skin glow a little bit, but doesn't come off too oily or greasy throughout the day and it's definitely long-lasting as it is matte (semi-matte to be very precise). It also made my skin look better and healthier. The packaging is also light and travel-friendly so it's great for travelling.

after applying the IOPE Air Cushion XP Matte Finish all over my face

Tear off the plastic cover that's taped on the packaging. Press the puff gently with one push and then use the puff to apply the product all over the face by patting the puff gently onto the face (you may swipe the puff if it doesn't blend very well), blending it in the process. There will be a lot of product on the puff so you can just use that one puff to cover all over your face.

Price: 40,000KRW

Store Location: IOPE branches, Aritaum branches

How much product/heavy: 15g

Would I repurchase it? Yes, well only the refills because that would definitely save the cost and the environment.

Overall Comment:

It may be a little bit pricey (okay, yeah it's actually very pricey because it's $48BND), but I did not regret investing in this amazing product. Coverage is great and natural (not cakey at all), long-lasting, light, portable, travel-friendly and has high sun protection. Definitely recommend this product to everyone if you're looking for a foundation with lots of benefits for a pretty reasonable price.

Pros:
-medium to high coverage
-has high SPF
-blends well
-matches well with skin tone
-lightweight
-light packaging
-travel-friendly
-comes with a puff
-comes with a mirror
-has refills
-pricey

Cons:
-complicated packaging
-claims it's 'matte' but has a dewy finish
-only has 3 shades (all very fair)

Rating: